ALLEY THEATRE
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Paul R. Tetreault, Managing Director

ALLEY THEATRE
Welcomes Back Audiences With
EXXONMOBIL SUMMER CHILLS

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
featuring Alley veterans John Feltch and Noble Shropshire
Plays July 20th through August 12, 2001

Houston, Texas - The Alley Theatre continues its tradition of cooling off audiences in the summer with the return of the Alley’s popular ExxonMobil Summer Chills. This summer, the series will exclusively feature THE WOMAN IN BLACK, a ghostly tale adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill. Preview performances begin July 20, 2001 and running through August 12, 2001.

Alley Theatre Resident Company Actor John Tyson will direct THE WOMAN IN BLACK, which will be the exclusive installment of the series due to water damage to the sets, costumes and props of the previously announced Death on the Nile.

ExxonMobil has been the sponsor of the last five of the Alley’s eight Summer Chills series. Each year, the family - oriented series has gained popularity, surpassing expectations in attendance and box office revenues. The program provides fun for the whole family, giving them an opportunity to revel in the series’ humor, plot - twists, suspense and unexpected revelations - at desirable prices.

Stephen Mallatratt’s eerie THE WOMAN IN BLACK, based on the Susan Hill novel about a Victorian ghost, revolves around the story of Arthur Kipps, a middle - aged lawyer, who hires a professional actor to help him reenact - and hopefully exorcise - a ghostly event from his past. With wonderful theatricality, the two men re - enact the excerpt from Kipp’s past only to have it culminate in a terrifying twist.

Mr. Mallatratt wrote his early plays while working as an actor in Allan Ayckbourn’s Scarborough company. Some of these plays, such as The Englishman’s Home and Touch Wood and Whistle, were produced at Ayckbourn’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. In addition to his original works written there, he has adapted many novels to the stage, including Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Susan Hill, who wrote the novel THE WOMAN IN BLACK, was educated at grammar schools in Scarborough and Coventry and studied at King’s College, London. Her other works include Gentlemen and Ladies, A Change for the Better, I’m the King of the Castle, Strange Meeting, The Bird of the Night, The Albatross, A Bit of Singing and Dancing, In the Springtime of the Year, The Mist in the Mirror, and Air and Angels.

The cast for THE WOMAN IN BLACK includes Alley veterans John Feltch as the Actor and Noble Shropshire - seen recently as Don Homenides de Histangua in the Alley’s production of Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear - as Kipps.

The design team for THE WOMAN IN BLACK features scenic design by Alley Associate Director - Design Kevin Rigdon (Alley’s Synergy, Equus and Closer), lighting design by Michael Lincoln (Alley’s Synergy and Closer), costume design by Andrea Lauer and sound design by Alley Theatre Resident Sound Designer Malcolm Nicholls.